A fresh dispute has erupted between Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over the financing of the ongoing upgrade of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan.

Wike had claimed that President Bola Tinubu provided N50 billion to Makinde to support the transformation of the airport into an international facility. He made the claim on Monday while appearing on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout,  during a discussion on the support members of the former Peoples Democratic Party’s G5 had received from the Tinubu administration.

The claim has, however, been rejected by the Oyo State Government, which maintains that the airport project is being financed by the state. The government’s position is also in line with Makinde’s earlier public account of the project, in which he said his administration was pursuing the airport upgrade as part of efforts to expand its capacity and international operations.

The dispute comes as Makinde intensifies his political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Ibadan airport project remains one of the major infrastructure initiatives of the Makinde administration. Construction work on a new terminal is ongoing, with the governor saying during an inspection earlier this month that the facility was being developed as part of efforts to reposition the airport for international operations.

Wike’s claim has consequently opened a fresh debate over the financing of the project, with the FCT minister and the Oyo State Government offering contrasting accounts of the Federal Government’s financial involvement in the airport upgrade.